Painted Soldier Fly vs Slender Robber Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Painted Soldier Fly Slender Robber Fly
Scientific Name Sargus cuprarius Leptogaster cylindrica
Order Diptera Diptera
Family Stratiomyidae Asilidae
Size 10-14 mm 8-12 mm
Habitat Underground Meadows
Diet Herbivores Predators
Regions Europe Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Painted Soldier Fly

A brilliantly metallic coppery-green soldier fly with a slender body and clear wings. It basks on sunlit vegetation and is often seen on hogweed and other umbellifers.

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Did You Know?

Its metallic sheen changes color depending on the viewing angle, a phenomenon called structural coloration.

Slender Robber Fly

A delicate, narrow-bodied robber fly with an extremely slender abdomen. It hunts small insects among tall grass stems.

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Did You Know?

Its thread-like abdomen makes it almost invisible when resting on grass stems.